Touch latch



1, 1950 B. E. VAN EVERY 2,517,059

TOUCH LATCH Filed June 27, 1947 2 SheetsSheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

BZ'Z'SS E W602 Every C Q QQ 2m,

Aug. 1, 1950 B. E. VAN EVERY TOUCH LATCH Filed June 27, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BYCBIQI Patented Aug. 1, 1950 TOUCH LAT-CH Bliss E. Van Every, Buffalo, N.;Y., assignor to Colonial Radio Corporation, Bufialo, N. Y.

Application June 27, 1947, Serial No. 757,549

This invention relates to a new and improved touch latch for cabinets and the like. Aswill be understood, a touch latch is one which requiresno knob or pull to open the door. When the door is closed, the latch operates, securing the door in closed position. When it is desired to open the door, the door is merely pushed slightly, and the latch releases, permitting the door to be opened, usually by a spring.

I am aware that certain forms of touch latch have already been proposed and are available on the market. However, as far as I knowfthese are unsatisfactory, usually unreliable in operation, frequently fail to latch the door in closed position, fail to release when the door is pushed to open it, and in some, cases are gravity or inertia operated and will not operate except in the position for which they are designed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a touch latch which is positive andreliable in operation and which will unfailingly latch when the door is shut and unfailingly release when the door is pushed to open.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a touch latch which is simple to construct,

requiring no expensive or precision parts, and

which is unlikely to get out of order.

Itis a further objector this invention to provide a touch latch in which the latch keeper has no moving parts and the latch itself has a combination of longitudinal and swinging movement for engaging and releasing.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a latch which does not utilize gravity or inertia effects and will operate in any position in which it may be placed.

Still other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the specification.

The features of novelty which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its fundamental principles and as to its particular embodiments, will best be understood by reference to the specification and accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of a cabinet equipped with a latch according to my invention, with the door closed,

Fig. 2 is a section on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a section on lines 33 of Fig. l, and

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are sections on lines 4-4 of Fig. 2, showing successive positions of the latch mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1, 2,

7 Claims. (Cl. 292--99) moves to the rear.

3, and 4, lil designates the main plate of the latch on which the mechanism is mounted and H a cover plate provided with holes for mounting screws secured in any suitable manner to en- 'closethe mechanism. The latch itself is designated as IE2, and is in the form of an elongated bar having downwardly projecting olT-settongue I211, and flat surface 82?) at its outer end to engage latch keeper l3.

Latch hook i2 is pivoted at its rear end on latch bar l5,which is mounted for longitudinal movement through openings in'cover plate I I, these openings having suflicient clearance from lock bar 15 to permit its longitudinal movement, but otherwise to confine it in position. Lock bar It: has on its upper side and near one end projection i6, and spaced therefrom in the direction of the latch end arm 20 terminating in a V- shaped finger, the J pointing away from the latch end.

Pivotally mounted on main plate ill above lock bar 15 there is provided what is termed a star wheel ll, pivoted at it. As shown, this is in the form of a rectangle having a greater length than width and having its ends provided with V- shaped notches I9.

Keeper I3 is in the form of a plate having an upward extension carrying spring M engaging latch tongue 12a to prevent vibration and rat tie, and having another portion l3b folded into the form of a rectangular shaped tube. In closed position, latch tongue 12a lies within tubular portion l3b of keeper it, while latch surface I21) is outside the keeper.

Operation of the latch will now be described. Preferably the latch is mounted within the cabinet and the keeper on the door in the relative positions shown by 2 and 3, so that when the door is to close, the lower forward face of tongue Illa is engaged by keeper l3. Continued pressure on the door will now move locking bar l5 and latch l2 to the left in Fig. 6, and the engagement of latch l2 with cover plate ll serves to rotate latch l2 in a clockwise direction as it The center point of V finger 2B is located slightly above pivot point l8 of star wheel ll.

Continued rearward motion of lock bar [5 clears projection I6 from star wheel I1, leaving the star wheel free to rotate. As finger 20 engages with the right-hand end of star wheel ll, star wheel I! is given a slight counter-clockwise rotation sufficient to carry one of its points into the path of projection It.

When the door is released, spring 2 I, attached at one end to latch l2 and at the other to the inside of the cover plate, moves lock bar I5 to the right, and the right-hand corner of projection l6 engages in lower notch IQ of star wheel l1, carryin it to the position shown in Fig. 4. At this point no further forward movement of the bar can occur because of the engagement between projection l6 and star wheel IT. The latch will now remain closed as long as the door is not touched.

If it is desired to open the door, the door is again pushed in, keeper l3 pushes latch tongue l2a, lock bar 15 moves to the left clearing projection l6 from star wheel ll, and leaving the latter free to rotate, and in continued movement of lock bar l5, the point of V finger 20 strikes the star wheel ll (see Fig. 5), rotating it slightly counterclockwise, and as pressure on the door is released, spring 2| will now pull latch l2 and lock bar I5 to the right as far as it. will go, and this time the right-hand face of projection It strikes star wheel Ii, rotating it. to the position shown in Fig. 6, wherein the latch is fully opened, and the front end of latch bar it is lifted. by the engagement of angular face 21 with side Wall bearing edge 28. The top of latch bar l2 has clearance portion 29 bearing on the side wall of cover plate I l.

Thus it will be seen that the complete latching cycle, that is, two operations of latch l2, one to latch and one to unlatch, result in 180 rotation of star wheel ll.

Referring to Fig. 2, the offset of latch tongue iZa permits the body of the latch to be countersunk in the wall. of the cabinet, with main plate ill flush with the inner surface of wall 25.

In the specification I have explained the principles of my invention and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying those principles, so as to distinguish my invention from other inventions; and I have particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed the part, improvement, or combination which I claim as my invention or discovery.

While I have shown and described certain pre ferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as will be clear to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a touch latch, in combination, a carrier plate, a locking bar mounted on said carrier plate for endwise sliding movement, a star wheel mounted on said carrier plate adjacent said looking bar, projections on said locking bar for engaging and shifting said star wheel to latch and release positions alternately, and for limiting the movement of said locking bar, and a hook latch pivotally mounted on said locking bar for swinging movement as said lockin bar moves endwise one of said projections engaging said star wheel to lock said bar in latched position.

2. In a touch latch, in combination, a carrier plate, a locking bar mounted on said carrier plate for endwise sliding movement, a star wheel mounted on said carrier plate adjacent said looking bar, said locking bar having spaced projections for alternately engaging and shifting said star wheel to latch and release positions, and for limiting the movement of said locking bar, and a hook latch having a downwardly projecting finger for engaging within a keeper, pivotally mounted on said locking bar for swinging movement as said locking bar moves endwise one of said projections engaging said star wheel to lock said bar in latched position.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which said hook latch is provided with a surface engaged by the keeper to actuate the latch to closed position as the door is closed.

4. The combination claimed in claim 1 with a, keeper having a spring engaging said latch in closed position.

5. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which said hook latch is provided with a surface engaged by the keeper to actuate the latch to closed position as the door is closed, and a keeper hav-L ing a spring engaging said latch in closed position.

6. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which said hook latch is provided with a cover plate engaging portion inclined at an angle to the direction of movement of said locking bar.

7. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which said hook latch is provided with cam surfaces engagin said cover plate, said cam surfaces being so shaped as to effect swinging movement of said, hook latch as it moves endwise. g

BLISS E. VAN EVERY.

No references cited. 

